Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas might have made President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans an offer they cannot refuse.
Thursday on the social media platform X, Paxton pledged to “consider” withdrawing from the Texas GOP Senate primary race if Senate Republicans finally do the president’s bidding by nuking the filibuster to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
“The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass,” Paxton wrote, “and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done.”
Among other things, the SAVE Act would require prospective voters to provide “documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.” It would also force states to “remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters.”
Democrats, of course, have gone apoplectic over the bill. They know, for instance, that cracking down on voter fraud, including noncitizen voters, would diminish their electoral chances. After all, why did they throw open the southern border under former President Joe Biden, if not to boost their electoral numbers?
Senate Republicans, squishy as always, have balked at nuking the filibuster. But Paxton might have some real leverage.
In Tuesday’s Texas U.S. Senate primaries, Paxton finished only 1.2 percentage points behind incumbent GOP Senator John Cornyn. Widely regarded as a Republican in Name Only, or RINO, Cornyn must now fend off Paxton in a May 26 runoff.
Since three in five Texas GOP voters supported someone other than Cornyn, Paxton would appear to have a fighting chance.
Nonetheless, according to Politico, Trump drove another dagger through the hearts of his MAGA supporters by signaling that he might endorse Cornyn to avoid a costly primary that could hurt the GOP in the general election against woke Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
Thus, Paxton has a strong hand to play, as he indicated on X.
“I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act,” Paxton wrote.
The Texas attorney general added that the “coward” Cornyn “has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill.”
Paxton also touted his loyalty to the president, a fact that seems to matter less and less these days.
The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done.
I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.
John Cornyn…
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 5, 2026
Trump, of course, has already alienated a sizable portion of his base.
For instance, many of us who forgave him for the COVID vaccine have felt betrayed anew over his yearlong attempts to obscure and then downplay the shocking revelations in some now-published files concerning the (presumably) late convicted sex offender and suspected child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Likewise, whatever one thinks of it on moral or geopolitical grounds, the president’s decision to launch major combat operations against Iran does not square with his decade-long commitment to avoiding conflicts in the Middle East.
Trump also has made enemies of Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Notwithstanding the president’s hostility, both have behaved like “America First” patriots. Greene enthusiastically supported the president until early last year.
For many onetime Trump supporters, a Cornyn endorsement would amount to another slap in the face. Instead of draining the Swamp, the president would, in effect, promote the Swamp.
Paxton’s offer, therefore, could bring light to an otherwise dark situation. It certainly should get Trump’s attention.
“The Republicans MUST DO, with PASSION, and at the expense of everything else, THE SAVE AMERICA ACT – And not the watered down version. This is a Country Defining fight for the Soul of our Nation!” the president wrote Thursday morning on his social media platform Truth Social.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump RE-UPS his call for the US Senate to take up and pass the SAVE America Act IMMEDIATELY
“This is a Country Defining fight for the Soul of our Nation!”
ENOUGH WITH THE PUPPY PARADES, @LeaderJohnThune.
GET THE SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSED! pic.twitter.com/w78dLHRSqW
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 5, 2026
Needless to say, all Republicans should agree with every word of Trump’s post.
In short, by sacrificing personal ambitions, Paxton could very well reinvigorate the MAGA movement. More importantly, he would save American elections from cheating Democrats.
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